Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with the new Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense, Kim Yong-hyun. The two leaders reviewed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. Both officials reaffirmed the robustness of the ROK-U.S. Alliance and reviewed priorities to strengthen the combined defense posture. Secretary Austin noted that he looked forward to hosting Minister Kim for the 56th Security Consultative Meeting in Washington, DC this fall.